The Ministry of Defence is squandering billions of pounds on kit and supplies it does not need while trying to save money by getting rid of troops.

Military chiefs are wasting ‘unacceptable’ sums of taxpayers’ cash by buying and hoarding excess equipment, according to a scathing report today.

MPs on the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee found at least £6.6billion of stock was either unused or over-ordered.

Tax money: The MoD has wasted £6.6bn on equipment it does not need - including spare parts for the Nimrod MR2 last them 54 years, a plane which was scrapped in 2009

The top civil servant at the MoD, permanent secretary Jon Thompson, admitted there were ‘problems’ in managing the inventory of kit and equipment. He said the cash-strapped department was spending £1.1billion on a computer system to tackle ‘weaknesses’ in stock control.

The cross-party committee’s report will be a blow to morale as the fighting capability of the Army, Royal Navy and RAF continues to be reduced.

The report said that the department had identified a £3.4billion stockpile of supplies that it wanted to get rid of, possibly by selling them on the MoD’s disposals website – a military version of eBay.

WHERE YOUR TAXES WENT

Six propellers, total value £1.1million, for the remaining Type 42 destroyers. Only one is still in service.

A ten-year supply of fire-resistant overalls even though fewer than 200 a year are issued.

Enough spare parts for the Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft to last 54 years. The spy plane was scrapped in 2009.

Twenty-five air conditioning units valued at £135,000 have not been used since at least March 2007. Twelve of them are unfit for use.

MPs on the committee said they were ‘disappointed’ that problems still existed with MoD stock control despite being highlighted as long ago as 1991.

The committee said of the MoD: ‘The department has failed to provide effective incentives or accountability for those responsible for ordering, retaining and disposing of inventory.’

Tory Richard Bacon, committee vice-chairman, said: ‘It is unacceptable that the MoD is wasting significant amounts of public money buying equipment and supplies that it doesn’t need.

'It is particularly galling at a time when funding is tight.

‘With stock returning from Afghanistan and soon from Germany, the problem is likely to get worse.’

Bernard Gray, the MoD head of procurement, told the committee: ‘There is nothing more annoying than throwing something away and then finding, five minutes later, that it would cost you a fortune to replace it.’